The Great Banquet Preschool Sunday School Lesson (Free, Ages 3–6)
Preschool lesson (ages 3–6, 20 minutes)
1. Welcome (3 min)
Sit in a circle, greet every child by name and show one thing from the story to touch.
2. The little story (5 min)
Teach the refrain first: “He wanted his house to be full.”
One day Jesus was eating dinner at the house of a leader. Many people were there. Jesus spoke to the man who had invited him. “When you make a feast, ask the poor, the lame, or the blind.” Lame means not able to walk well. Blind means not able to see. Poor people can not pay you back, Jesus said. But God will bless you.
A man at the table heard it. He said, “Blessed is he who will feast in God’s Kingdom!” A feast is a big, happy meal. One day there will be a great feast in God’s Kingdom. Then Jesus told a story.
A man made a great supper. He invited many people. Maybe there was bread, and meat, and good things to drink. He wanted his house to be full.
In those days, guests were asked to come long before. Then, when the food was ready, a servant came to call them.
When it was time to eat, the man sent his servant to the guests. “Come, for everything is ready now.” Can you wave your hand and call, “Come!”?
The table was ready. The food was ready. Everything was ready! Who do you think will come?
But they all made excuses. Excuses are reasons for not coming. The first one said, “I have bought a field. I must go and see it.”
Then came another excuse. “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I must go try them out.” A yoke is a wooden bar for two oxen. Five pairs of oxen – that is ten strong oxen! Can you show ten fingers?
Another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I can’t come.” Not one of them would come! Each one said no. Each one had something else to do. The table was full of food, but the places were empty.
The servant came back and told his master. The master was angry. “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city,” he said. “Bring in the poor, blind, and lame.” He wanted his house to be full.
So the servant went. He brought in poor people. He brought in people who could not see. He brought in people who could not walk well. Then he came back to his master. “Lord, it is done as you commanded, and there is still room.”
There was still room! There were still empty places at the table. Room for more! Can you scoot over and make room?
The master said, “Go out into the highways and hedges. Compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.”
Highways and hedges are the country roads and the bushes along them. Compel means: ask them strongly, so they will come. The master wanted many, many guests! He did not want even one empty place. He wanted his house to be full.
God invites many, many people to his feast. There is room for many at God’s table. He wanted his house to be full.
3. Talk together (3 min)
- Who would you invite to a big supper?
- How do you think the poor people felt when they were invited?
4. Move (3 min)
Refrain Freeze: move around the room; when you say the refrain, everyone freezes and says it together.
5. Make (4 min)
Draw a line to who said it.
6. Verse and prayer (2 min)
“Come, for everything is ready now.” — Luke 14:17 (Come → wave your hand: come here; everything is ready now → spread your arms over a pretend table)
Dear God, thank you that you invite so many people to your feast. Thank you that there is room for me. Amen.
Lesson for older kids (ages 6–10)
Big idea: Everyone Is Invited
Memory verse: “Come, for everything is ready now.” — Luke 14:17 · WEB
The Bible story
A kind master throws the biggest feast ever, but when busy friends say no, he flings his doors open wide so everyone — even you — is warmly invited in!
Talk about it
- What did the kind master decide to make? — A great feast
- Who did the master send to call the guests? — His servant
- What did the servant say when the feast was ready? — Come, everything is ready!
- What was the first guest's excuse for not coming? — He had bought a field
- What had the next guest just bought? — Five pairs of oxen
- How did the master feel when the guests made excuses? — Angry
Where is Jesus in this story?
Jesus did exactly what the master in this story did. He ate with tax collectors and sinners, healed people who were poor, blind and lame, and welcomed those everyone else left out (Luke 7:22; 15:2). The master's servant says, “There is still room” (Luke 14:22). Because of Jesus, there is still room at God's table for you.
What God wants to tell us
God is like the kind master who longs to share His very best with us. Some people were too busy to come, but God did not give up — He opened His doors even wider and called in everyone, especially those the world forgets. That means there is always a place for you at God's table. You do not have to be rich, clever, or perfect; you only have to say yes and come. God loves to welcome every one of us with open arms, and He is so happy when we come.
Prayer
Loving God, thank You for inviting me to be part of Your big, happy family. Help me never to be too busy to come to You. Thank You that You welcome everyone, and that there is always a warm place for me at Your table. Please help me to invite others too, so they can feel Your love. Amen.
Read the story · Coloring page 1 · Coloring page 2 · Quiz · All lessons
Home · All stories · Topics · Coloring pages · Quizzes · Sunday school lessons
